Movie Review: 'Bella'

Bella (2007) 

Directed by Alejandro Gomez Monteverde

Written by Alejandro Gomez Monteverde

Starring Eduardo Verastegui, Tammy Blanchard 

Release Date October 26th, 2007

Published October 26th, 2007

The right wing politicos have been salivating over Bella. This tiny drama about a woman considering an abortion and the conversation she has about her decision with a troubled co-worker has been passed around by the church crowd and is being pushed as the rare, outspoken pro-life movie to come out of Hollywood.

Whether that was the intention of writer-director Alejandro Monteverde is debatable. Watching Bella and comparing it with the hype surrounding it; you get an odd picture of just what this movie is. Away from the hype, Bella is a thoughtful conversation about life between two interesting and engaging people. With the hype you can divine a message if you want one but the film is far from strident about it's political edge.

Eduardo Verastegui stars in Bella as Jose, a former soccer star whose life was changed in one fateful moment. Today he works for his brother Manny (Manny Perez) as a chef at a popular restaurant. Well, he did work there, but today he lost his job. Jose walked out on Manny after the boss fired Nina (Tammy Blanchard) for once again showing up late.

Nina had a good reason however, she just found out she was pregnant. Sensing the injustice of her firing and her obvious need for comfort, Jose walked off the job to tend to her. This begins a long conversation that takes them across New York City and to the outskirts of Manhattan for dinner with Jose's family, minus Manny who is dealing with his brother's absence.

Nina has made up her mind, she is getting an abortion. Losing her job was the clincher. She already felt that she was in no position to raise a child. Now, facing the idea of having to apply for jobs while waiting to give birth is just something she cannot imagine. For his part, Jose is supportive but questioning. Though he doesn't reveal any specific belief about the morality of abortion, he wants to know if Nina is certain of her decision and fully aware of the consequences and dangers.

There is a distinct lack of stridency in director Alejandro Monteverde's approach to abortion. The film is no polemic though if one chooses to, they could divine that the filmmakers are indeed pro-life. That belief is not openly expressed because I'm not sure that is what the film is really about. Rather, Bella is about these two characters and their specific situation.

The decisions made by Jose and Nina are their decisions and not ones that feel mandated by an agenda. In that account I didn't mind Bella so much. I like these two characters,I found both to be gentle, thoughtful and sweet. Their conversation is thoughtful and revealing without a hint of agenda or talking points. If the film meanders a bit, it's only because there isn't much more to it than a single conversation.

The thing about Bella and it's pro life message is that it is not all that unique. The message is certainly not nearly as unique in a Hollywood movie as the right wing agenda types would have you believe. Think about the last time you saw abortion portrayed in a mainstream movie. The one instance that jumps to mind is Fast Times At Ridgemont High a comedy that was somewhat breezy about the issue and likely one of the reasons the right wing see's pro-choice conspiracy inside every film canister.

Think really hard though about Hollywood's true attitude toward abortion. Three of this years most talked about films Knocked Up, Waitress and Juno flirted with idea of abortion but were immediately dismissive. Granted each film needed those babies for plot purposes but check the attitudes. The characters in Knocked Up can't even bring themselves to say the word abortion, inserting the nonsense phrase ‘smashmortion’ as a dodge.

Keri Russell's Waitress barely takes a moment to ponder the idea before she dismisses the idea. Even the idea of selling the baby on the black market was discussed as a more appealing idea. I've not seen but trailers for Juno and I know that abortion is not part of that films teen pregnancy scenario. Juno centers around a knocked up teen who decides to give up her baby to a couple she finds in the newspaper.

So where, I ask, is the left wing, pro-choice agenda? I do not argue that Hollywood is not inherently liberal. The industry has churned out a number of anti-war films this year that attest to a left wing perspective. That perspective however, is nowhere to be found when it comes to abortion.

Again, I feel it necessary to point out that Bella is not really as much of an agenda film as the right wing would have you believe. Rather, Bella is a thoughtful discussion of life, and the choices available, between two kind, intelligent and engaging characters. It's unfortunate that outside agendas have become attached to this film. The idea that Bella is an anti-abortion movie has become attached unfairly. Bella isn’t anti-abortion, it’s pro-friendship and conversation and the choices made by individuals that aren’t driven by the politics of the day.